Taxicabs and livery vehicles
Ordinary sedans are used for most taxicabs and livery vehicles, even though they have several disadvantages, including danger to the passengers who ride in a rear seat facing forward where they are vulnerable to injury from any head-on collision. Ordinary sedans also cannot accommodate wheelchair passengers, and they do not offer adequate protection to the driver from gunfire from the rear seat. Ordinary sedans are also not made ruggedly enough to endure the many passenger miles desired of taxi and livery vehicles pounding over potholed streets.
My invention aims at meeting these needs with a vehicle especially adapted for taxicab and livery cab purposes. My vehicle will accept wheelchair passengers; will transport passengers more safely; and is especially designed for ruggedness, durability, and safety of both the driver and the passengers.
My taxicab and livery cab vehicle is derived from a pickup truck cab and frame that is especially modified for passenger-carrying purposes. An original portion of the pickup truck frame after the cab is removed and a substitute frame is connected with the original frame to extend aft from the cab through a long level region to a rear axle clearance region. A passenger cabin is mounted on the frame extension aft of the cab and has a wide level floor forward of the rear axle clearance region. A principal passenger seat is arranged in the passenger cabin behind the cab to face rearwardly for improved safety protection of passengers from any forward collision. The flat floor aft of the principal passenger seat and forward of the rear axle clearance region is wide enough to receive and accommodate a wheelchair passenger. Another passenger seat can be arranged on the rear axle clearance region to face forward, and a luggage compartment is located at the rear of the passenger cabin.
A wheelchair ramp to aid ingress and egress of wheelchairs is stored in a pocket forward of the principal passenger seat and aft of the cab. The ramp is preferably made of bullet-resistant material to protect the driver from bullets fired forward from the passenger cabin.
A compact suspension for the rear axle is preferably pneumatic for durability and improved performance and to allow the vehicle to kneel down when receiving or delivering wheelchair passengers. The compact rear suspension also occupies a much smaller portion of the extended frame than is occupied by the leaf spring suspension of the rear axle of a pickup truck. Many other safety and convenience features for both passengers and driver are facilitated by the inventive way of adapting a pickup truck cab and frame to serve as a taxicab and livery vehicle.